Re-Logic, the renowned indie game developer and publisher responsible for the beloved 2D sandbox game Terraria, is publicly condemning the recently announced Unity Runtime Fee. In response, the studio has made a generous contribution to two open-source game engines to ensure their accessibility and power for developers worldwide.

In a statement shared on Twitter, Re-Logic expressed their disappointment over the recent events surrounding Unity. The studio stated, “The team at Re-Logic has been watching the recent events surrounding Unity with both interest and sadness. The loss of a formerly leading and user-friendly game engine to the darker forces that negatively impact so much of the gaming industry has left us dismayed, to put it mildly.”

While Re-Logic admits that they primarily use Unity for certain elements on mobile and console platforms, they believe it is their duty to stand against the “predatory moves” being made against studios across the industry. “We unequivocally condemn and reject the recent TOS/fee changes proposed by Unity and the underhanded way they were rolled out,” expressed Re-Logic. The studio continued, “The flippant manner with which years of trust cultivated by Unity were cast aside for yet another way to squeeze publishers, studios, and gamers is the saddest part. That this wholly unnecessary move pushes things into the tragedy category – a cautionary tale the industry will not soon forget.”

Re-Logic has taken concrete action to support their stance. The studio has donated a substantial amount of $100,000 to both FNA and Godot, two open-source game engines. Additionally, Re-Logic has pledged to continue sponsoring these engines with monthly donations of $1,000. In their statement, the studio expressed their only expectation: “All we ask in return is that they remain good people and keep doing all that they can to make these engines powerful and approachable for developers everywhere.”

In recent news, the Unity Runtime Fee is set to be implemented starting January 1, 2024. This fee will require developers to pay a monthly amount based on the number of installations their games have, provided they surpass a specific threshold. For instance, developers using Unity Personal or Unity Plus will face the threshold of 200,000 lifetime installs and a total revenue of $200,000.

Unity’s introduction of the fee has faced significant backlash, leading hundreds of developers to take part in a protest against the changes. Although Unity has issued an apology for the confusion caused, it remains uncertain whether the company plans to revise or reverse the policy. However, Re-Logic stated that even if Unity were to backtrack, the damage to trust cannot be easily repaired.

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